


From Ashes

by SpoiledAmbrosia



Category: Suicide Squad (2016)
Genre: Chato Santana Lives, Cuddling & Snuggling, Established Relationship, Kissing, M/M, Rebirth, Temporary Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-08
Updated: 2017-03-08
Packaged: 2018-10-01 07:16:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10183814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpoiledAmbrosia/pseuds/SpoiledAmbrosia
Summary: While the squad rests up for their next mission, Chato's mind is awake and Digger proves to be good company.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Me, a fool: wow I like these characters, they'd be cute together ♥
> 
> Ao3: hhhrurjubru that's a rarepair, sweatie ;) 
> 
> Me: oh no
> 
> Spoilers for suicide squad if you haven't watched it yet!!!

The squad had been shipped out early for once, droves of militia and soldiers with no idea what they were up against setting up for something big. It didn't take a genius to figure out that if the squad had been called in, it was dangerous, too many lives that mattered wasted on fighting some great threat. Chato had seen it before, way back when. Thinking back on it, he could still picture the life Enchantress had crafted for him. Picturesque, welcoming, _home._

 

Home. Since then, that word had taken on a different meaning, changed and was forged by strife and chaos and came out for it stronger than ever. Home wasn't a house, home was when he was with family, and looking around the room, Chato knew his home was with the squad. The reality of them couldn't be beaten out by the false life that had been made for him. They were real, they were screwed up just like him, but they were _family_.

 

Chato was pulled away from his reverie by a chilly nose nudging against his knuckles, a voice coming from between his legs. Chato cracked an eye open, the other opening to stare down at the still outline of Digger, concern reflecting in those big eyes of his. If they were his eyes, the room was too dark too see much beside rough shapes and whoever was right in front of him.

 

“Ey, you doin' okay, mate?” Digger whispered, voice carrying the same unease his face wore. Chato bared his throat as Digger reached up to run his fingers along his jaw. Chato nodded, leaning into the gentle touch. “Ya’ conked out on me,” Digger said, knowing too much for his own good. He scooted up further, elbows boxing Chato in on both sides, chin pressing into the soft flesh of Chato’s middle. “Anythin’ I should know, love? Wanna talk about it? Ya’ know I get all pissy when you ain't talkin’.”

 

Chato brought his hands up, cradling Digger's head in his own warm touch, watching in satisfaction when Digger just melted under his touch. “ _Oo-ho-hoo_ , babe, that's the spot. Now, don't leave me all cold, mate, put a little more _oomph_ into it.” Chato laughed, quietly, breaking into a smile at Digger's appreciative remarks.

 

“What, and burn this off?” Chato twisted the ends of Digger's moustache, fingers curling in the length of his beard. He pulled it to it's end, checking for new growth. An inch or so, if he was measuring right, in the dark. “Be a shame, man. I like it like this.” Chato didn't need light to feel how Digger lit up at the compliment, puffing up like a bird, all full of pride and snug about it.

 

“Ah, I did it for you, babe. Heard like ya’ like guys with beards,” Digger gave an aimless shrug of his shoulders, the bed creaking for it. “Couldn't have old sharpshooter stealin’ ya away just 'cause I nab a pack of razors when I see 'em.” Digger rested his head entirely in Chato's hands, face buried in his hands, Chato generating just a degree more heat for the man. The long sigh and groan let him know he was doing something right.

 

The guy was always so cold, and while that might've explained the coat, it was best when he didn't wear it to bed. Digger had told him at length that he'd rather be naked and snuggled up tight to Chato if the squad wasn't around. It was a sweet confession, but things had gotten out of hand when Digger _actually_ went through with it and nearly got a bullet to the ass Floyd saw him.

 

The room they had stuck the squad in was small, practical and with no more room than they needed. Bunks were moved in, rickety old things that creaked under the stress of one's weight. A single window was allowed, huge and, at the moment, covered by thick curtains. The others had gone to bed, even Digger had crawled into his bed and slept on Chato’s belly until he warmed up and went to sleep. It'd been just Chato up, just observing the underside of his bunk and thinking. Nothing in particular, just _stuff,_  as far and as vague as that went. He thought about their mission, the safehouse they were staying in, Digger.

 

The guy was nudging Chato's sides, egging him on to talk. “C’mon, babe,” he bemoaned, keeping his voice low among the occasional snores of the squad. “Talk to me, what's crawled up ya’ knickers?”

 

Shoving at Digger's face, Chato buried his chuckle under his fist, clasping his hand over his mouth when Digger's fingers found his side's for a different reason; roaming the flesh to tickle the answer out of him. Chato, as stupid as it was, was extremely ticklish, and Digger seemed obsessed with getting a laugh out of him by exploiting that fact about him. Digger pressed his fingers into Chato’s hips, forcing a hiccup out of him, spinning awfully stimulating circles into the bone. Chato nearly jumped out of his skin, hurriedly shoving away at Digger before he burst out laughing in the middle of a room of practiced killers.

 

“Okay, _okay_ , man. Relax, I'll tell you,” Chato whispered, breathless and harsh. His heart was pounding in his chest, body feeling warmer for it. Finally satisfied with getting Chato to speak, Digger settled against his belly again, ear to his stomach and eyes peering up at his face. Chato met his gaze, waiting and impatient all at once. He sighed, pulling his pillow behind his back, resting on it as a cushion to the wall. “Just been thinkin’ about the first time we did this. Go out, fight for our lives, and leave without getting killed.” Chato felt Digger stiffen on him at the mention of being killed, Chato regretting his choice of words immediately.

 

They stared at each other, hard gaze meeting in the short space between them. Chato was the first to look away, eyes moving up to the underside of the bunk above him. “ _Shit_ ,” he swore, shaking his head at his loose tongue. “Didn't mean it like that, man, just being-- I'm sorry.” Chato apologized, leaning forward to press a kiss against Digger's face, still silent and tense on his belly. “Don't want you to worry 'bout me, okay? I'll be fine, you saw me last time.”

 

Digger rolled, lying on his back as he stared deep into Chato's eyes, emotion swirling in the low light of the room. Maybe that was good, Chato wasn't sure if he could bear to see the _hurt_ in them. “You fuckin’ _died_ , Chato.” Digger gasped, voice breaking on that one word, Chato wincing at the pain lacing Digger's words. “You went out with a bang and didn't fuckin’ come back, mate,” Chato felt Digger curl his fingers around his ears, palms coming to rest on his cheeks. Chato pressed his hand against Digger's own, using his other one to rub away the wrinkles in his forehead.

 

“Hey, _hey_ , man. I'm here now, I ain't going nowhere, trust me.” Chato knew it was foolhardy to say that, promise that in a situation like the squad's, but he couldn't just sit and watch Digger pick himself undone with all the what-ifs running through his head. He had to do something, calm the guy down before he threw himself into a panic. Chato squeezed Digger's hand, keeping up his other's hand movements around his temple. “I've told you what happened back then, right? How I came back?”

 

Digger shifted on him, the bunk making quiet creaks as he did. “Once or twice, or five, or-” He coughed, looking away. “Thirteen. Would've been fourteen but I, uh, dozed off halfway through.” Chato smiled, tickling that one spot under Digger's ear to make him squirm. “Yeah,” Digger said, breathless as Chato was when he was the one being tickled. “But what of it? Don't do us much good here.”

 

It was Chato's turn to shrug, cracking a smile at Digger's idea of what his story was good for. “Helps calm you down when you're about to take a dive off the helicopter,” Chato said, the lines in Digger's face letting him know his words had ring true. “What was that, fifth time we got sent out?” Digger's head moved in a nod.

 

Chato went quiet, slowly recalling their first mission and his first death. Then, rebirth. Chato stared into Digger's eyes, catching sight of the sleepiness already in them. His own eyelids were heavy, but he could sleep just yet. “It’s like you said, I went out with a bang,” Chato laughed, shaking his head at his dark joke. “'cept I didn't really feel it. Over like that, man, after that everything was just-” Chato hesitated, seeking a word that described the out of body experience that was death. “Detached, from everything. Couldn't feel myself, fire, anything.” Chato set his head against the wall, shifting to rest his lower back on his pillow. “Didn't feel half bad, to tell you the truth.”

 

It was a freedom escaping from prison and Waller would never bring him. It was true freedom, from anything and everything. No more concerns, no more fighting. Just him, and at the time it felt like he was free from even that. He was nothing, blissful and unaware. Then came the heat, soul used as kindling to start a spark that bloomed into an inferno.

 

“I was away from all this, man,” Chato raised a hand, reaching up and out, what he was imagining couldn't be touched with mortal hands. The spirit, perhaps, but flesh couldn't comprehend it. “Drifting, leaving it all behind.” Chato looked down, taking in the awed look Digger always wore when he told him the story. “I started burnin’ up, but man, see, it didn't hurt. Wasn't my fire, didn't even feel like it, like someone lit me up. I started fallin’ back down, that fire bringing me back down here.” At the time, it felt like he would reach the living world as ashes, but fate, or whatever other power was at work, had different plans.

 

“ _Man_ ,” Chato murmured, head in his hand at the sensation of being reborn from fire. “That first breath, it hurt. Like someone was scrapin’ my lungs with a rusty knife.” Again, Digger went stuff on him, Chato quick to calm him with a gentle stroke to the neck. “The second one, I choked on. Then I started breathing again, flushing out the pain and coming to grips with what the hell just happened.”

 

Each time he told the story, it got easier. At first, it was painful and terrifying, the fear of going to that strange place only to come back was paralyzing. Now, he could at least talk about it without panicking.

 

“I was still there, where I blew up. Brushing off rubble, looking for you guys.” Chato shrugged, remembering his state of undress at the time. “I was naked, too, didn't want to find the squad like that. Started walking, found some clothes, and went back to the prison.” At that, Digger tsked his tongue, shaking his head with a whine in his throat.

 

“But _why?_ You were free, mate! Waller's bloody boom bug in ya’ neck was blown to smithereens, you were a new man! Could've went anywhere!” Exasperated, Digger went limp, looking up at Chato with a genuinely puzzled expression. “Why'dya come back to that shithole?” Chato told him, time and time again, Digger was just never satisfied with the answer.

 

“Ain't no place for me out there, man. Ain't no one, either, everything I need is right here in this room.” Digger shook his head, lacing his fingers around Chato's neck to pull him down, laying a kiss right under his chin.

 

“Am I that pretty?” Digger teased, Chato smirking, raising his neck so Digger could growl along his jaw. “Promise me you won't leave me behind, Chato. Take me with you, yeah?”

 

Chato sighed, nodding to Digger's quiet plea. “Yeah, man. Promise.” That seemed to calm Digger some, relenting in his kisses on Chato's neck before he was left covered in hickies. Harley already had enough fun poking at him, fresh hickies would just be a new game for her. Chato patted Digger's face, running his fingers through his growing beard. “Get some sleep, George, you're gonna need it.”

 

Digger gave a yawn, resting his head on Chato's chest, arms going around him in a comfortable embrace. “You, too, fireball. G’nite.”

 

Chato watched as Digger slowly dozed off, thoroughly warned by his body heat until he was well and snoring. He played with his hair, twisting his fingers in the wild curls, stretching Digger's locks to see if he was growing out his hair as well. He was, or maybe he'd just forgotten to cut it. Either way, it was nice look for him.

 

The room was quiet at last, everyone deep into their dreams and soon, so was Chato.

 

He dreamt of another life, this one with it's imperfections and troubles, but it felt more like home than anything he'd seen back then.

 

It felt like love.

**Author's Note:**

> I like the idea of Chato being able to be reborn like the phoenix, even though that's not what he is. I'm also probably making Chato way too powerful, but who cares!!! Hope you enjoyed, please comment if you liked it and leave kudos for me to snack on while I write other stuff!!!


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